25 November 2022 |
When Gaby Aghion founded Chloé in 1952, it was a clothing collection with effortless elegance and liberated femininity at its crux. The Egyptian-born designer was a radical forward-thinker and champion of youthful spirit, which became palpable in the haute-bohemian fashions she crafted. “The world was opening up before my eyes, and I believed I could do anything. I felt I had wings,” Aghion once said. “All I ever wanted was for Chloé to have a happy spirit and to make people happy.” The Parisian house sets a peerless standard for female leadership, women’s stories and visions of femininity, all while endeavouring to question societal norms and the status quo. That’s why we’re delighted with the brand new coffee table delicacy commemorating the maison’s 70th anniversary.
Called, Chloé Catwalk: The Complete Collections, the publication arises as the freshest-faced member of the Catwalk Collection family from Thames and Hudson. With over 1.6 million copies in print, the Catwalk series has become a must-have for fashion fans around the world. You’ve probably seen some of its previous titles on a friend’s bookshelf or for sale at an art museum; Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada, Vivienne Westwood and Versace have all had their run of it. The historic style bibles offer a rare insight into the world’s most cherished fashion houses, which for Chloé, means an impressive line-up of major design talent, hundreds of luscious looks and more, from the first affectionate collection designed by the brand’s founder in 1952, to its radically romantic silhouettes created under the late Karl Lagerfeld over the course of two decades. Lagerfeld played with notions of nostalgia and championed retro fashion at Chloé, embracing the zeitgeist of the 1920s and ’30s and combining them with the free spirit and decadence of the ’70s.
In 1997, Stella McCartney took the helm, bringing a buoyant, playful, optimistic girly-dreamscape into the fold. Her collections featured signature low-rise pants, vintage-inspired lingerie, sharp tailoring and quirky printed T-shirts, followed by Phoebe Philo, who has been credited with driving the French fashion house into it’s coming-of-age era. She introduced a sophisticated sensuality to Chloé’s collections, creating clean-cut and grown-up garments that were rich in technical prowess, nuance, and cleverness, but discreet detail from 2001. Clare Waight Keller, Martine Sitbon, Hannah MacGibbon, Natacha Ramsay-Levi, Paulo Melim Andersson and Guy Paulin also held the top gig at the brand until in 2020, its acting, and first Uruguayan designer, Gabriela Hearst was appointed creative director. Hearst introduced a heightened sense of purpose to the house’s modern femininity. She has sought to improve the brand’s environmental and social impact through the use of lower-impact materials, a focus on craft, collaborating with non-profits and other social enterprises, scientists, researchers and activists. Chloé today is a certified B-Corp company.
Chloé Catwalk: The Complete Collections is a comprehensive history communicated both visually and textually, opening with a concise chronicle of the house of Chloé and followed closely by over 130 ground-breaking collections in technicolour. In the thick of it, more than 1000 unique and original catwalk photographs are organised chronologically from AW58 to AW23, each new era opening with a brief overview and biography of its existing creative director. Peppered over more than 600 pages of pure sartorial splendour, Lou Stoppard‘s vivid vocabulary describes the influences and highlights of each collection. The weighty volume is prefaced by one of fashion’s most respected journalists too; Suzy Menkes, who can trace her attendance at Chloé shows back to their mid-century beginnings. Finally, a rich reference section, including an extensive index, concludes the book.
It’s a lot to look at, so set yourself aside for an afternoon – maybe have a cuppa’ at the ready – and really, truly, indulge yourself in the 70 years of Chloé.
‘Chloé Catwalk: The Complete Collections’, retails for £60 and is available for purchase here.
